Delivery apparatus

ABSTRACT

A carrot topping machine in which carrots are delivered to an orientating apparatus by an upwardly-inclined elevator. The elevator has a box-like casing over which runs carrot-conveying flights carried by bars connected between conveying chains. A supply hopper is located adjacent the bottom of the elevator, the hopper permitting passage of the bars and flights to pick up carrots. Adjacent the top of the casing is an opening over which the flights pass so that excess carrots fall into the casing from which they are re-directed back to the hopper by chutes. Feed paddle wheels are located at the top of the elevator to receive the carrots and roll them on to the orientating apparatus.

United States Patent 1 1 Barlow 1111 3,791,513 1451 Feb. 12, 1974 [22] Filed:

[ 1 DELIVERY APPARATUS Colin Barlow, Radcliffe, England [73] Assignee: Mather & Platt Limited, Lancashire,

England July 21,1972

21 Appl.No.:273,909

[75] Inventor:

France 198/33 AA Primary Examiner-Edward A. Sroka Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Richard C. Sughrue et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A carrot topping machine in which carrots are delivered to an orientating apparatus by an upwardlyinclined elevator. The elevator has a box-like casing over which runs carrot-conveying flights carried by bars connected between conveying chains. A supply hopper is located adjacent the bottom of the elevator, the hopper permitting passage of the bars and flights to pick up carrots. Adjacent the top of the casing is an opening over which the flights pass so that excess carrots fall into the casing from which they are redirected back to the hopper by chutes. Feed paddle wheels are located at the top of the elevator to receive the carrots and roll them on to the orientating apparatus.

3 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENIEI] FEB I 2 I974 SHEET 1 OF 5 PATENIED 3,791,513

SHEET 2 [IF 5 PATENTED FEB I 2W4 SH'tEI 3 U? 5 PATENTEU 1 21974 3,791,513

sum 5 OF 5 M2 gLL DELIVERY APPARATUS This invention relates to apparatus for delivering conical articles, such for example as carrots, to an ori' entating apparatus, such for example as that which is the subject of our copending Patent Application No.

entitled Improvements in or relating to orientating apparatus.

According to an aspect of the present invention the delivering apparatus comprises an elevator for lifting the articles from a supply to a paddle feed wheel for rolling the articles on to an orientating apparatus, there being between the bottom and top ends of the elevator means for removing excess articles.

Preferably, the elevator has a stationary base over which longitudinally spaced bars mounting flights for engaging and lifting the articles are moved.

The means for removing excess articles is preferably constituted by an opening in the elevator base through which excess articles drop off the flights into a chute for conveying the articles back to supply.

Preferably also, the supply is constituted by a hopper preferably channelled to conform with the number of flights and with the channel walls or separators inclined or curved to prevent bridging.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a carrot topping machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the orientating apparatus for the machine;

FIG. 3' is a view of a paddle feed wheel to the orientating apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of apparatus for delivering carrots to the paddle feed wheel;

FIG. 5 is a corresponding side elevation of the delivering apparatus;

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are respectively sections on the lines VI-VI, VIIVII, and VIll-VIII of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the carrot topping apparatus;

FIGS. 10 and l 1 are detail views of the topping apparatus respectively with a carrot impaled and being topped;

and,

FIG. 12 is a pneumatic diagram of one topping station of the machine.

The carrot topping machine comprises three main sections, namely a carrot delivering apparatus 20, a carrot orientating apparatus 21 and a carrot topping apparatus 22.

The carrot delivering apparatus (FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 to 8), comprises an elevator 23 lying at an angle of, say, 54 to the horizontal although this angle may be adjustable by means of turnbuckles 24' between the bottom of the elevator 23 and the machine frame 25. The elevator 23 comprises a box-like casing 25 at each side and centrally of which is an endless chain 26 passing around sprockets 27 and 28. The chains 26 are interconnected by flat bars 29 each mounting a number of flights or scrapers 30, in the present instance six are shown although any convenient number may be employed.

At the top of the elevator is a roller 31 over which the bars 29 pass.

The top surface of the box-like casing 25 is provided with openings 32 over which the bars 29 and flights must pass.

Adjacent the bottom of the elevator 23 is an opentopped hopper 33, whose bottom is adapted to contain the carrots while allowing passage of the chains 26, bars 29 and flights 30 through the hopper. The interior of the hopper 33 is divided by resilient inclined or curved diverters 34 secured so as to allow passage there-under of the bars 29 and serving also to prevent bridging of the carrots. These diverters 34 divide the hopper 33 into six lanes in effect, one for each flight 30.

The interior of the casing 25 is provided with inclined walls 35 extending from the openings 32 to an opening 36 in each side of the casing 25. The openings 36 communicate via chutes 37 with the hopper 33.

Chain tensioning devices 38 are provided at the bottom of the elevator 23.

At the top of, but underneath, the elevator 23 are a number of feed paddle wheels 39, one for each lane. Each paddle wheel 39 is pocketted by means of slightly cranked vanes 40. An arcua'te plate 41 is provided around part of the paddle wheel 39 including the bottom and has an extension 42. The cranked vanes 40 of the paddle wheel 39 therefore roll the carrots along the plate 41 and extension 42 on to the orientating apparatus-2l.

The paddle wheels 39 are mounted for rotation clockwise on a shaft 43 to one end of which is secured a sprocket or chain wheel 44.

A motor 45 is secured on the machine frame 25' and is drivingly connected by a chain 46 to one of the sprockets 27' of the elevator 23, an idler sprocket 47 and the sprocket 44 of the shaft 43 mounting the paddle wheels 39.

The function of the delivering apparatus is as follows. Washed carrots contained in the hopper 33' are conveyed out of the hopper by the bars 29 and flights 30 and as the bars and flights pass over the openings 32 excess carrots fall therethrough and are conveyed back to the hopper 33 by the chutes 37 while the carrots remaining on the flights 30 are dropped to the pockets of the paddle wheels 39 which roll them alongthe plate 41 and extension 42 on to the orientating apparatus.

The orientating apparatus will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1' to 3. The orientating apparatus is again provided with six lanes, one for each paddle wheel 39. Each lane comprises a relatively slow moving endless belt 50' which extends for less than half the length of the orientating apparatus. At each side of each belt 50 is a transport belt 51 which extends the full length of the orientating apparatus, each transport belt 51" having at each side a' guide bar 52.

' The belts 50 and 51 are downwardly inclined and may be adjustable as to the degree of inclination.

Downwardly of the belts 50 are open spaces 53 below which can be located a container or discharge means (not shown). The endless belts 50 are driven by the motor 45 from the sprocket 44 by a chain 54, a sprocket 55 and idler and tension adjustment sprockets 56.

The transport belts 51 are driven by a motor 57, chain transmission 58 and sprocket 59.

In use, carrots are rolled on to the belts 50 in a square attitude by the paddle wheels 39 and due to their conical configuration the carrots roll off the belts 50 as shown on to the transport belts 51 which then convey the carrots thick ends or tops downwards to the topping apparatus. The carrots are therefore positively fed to the topping apparatus at a substantial rate. It will be manifest that debris, greenery, etc., simply fall off the end of the belts 50 into the container or discharge means.

In a modification of the orientating apparatus there is provided a conveying belt downwardly-inclined from the delivery apparatus to the topping devices with the direction of movement of the belt being from the delivery apparatus to the topping devices.

The inclination of the belt may be adjustable if desired. The belt may be of perforate or imperforate construction, and the speed of movement of the belt may be adjustable.

At the upper end of the belt there is provided a number of orientating plates, a preferred number being three. These plates are metal, lie in spatial side-by-side relationship, and are flat. They extend over, say, the upper fifth or sixth of the conveying belt length. The lateral edges of each plate are inclined or curved downwardly towards the belt.

Bars overlie the belt at each side of each plate such that there is defined a lane or channel whereof the bottom is the movable belt. These lanes or channels extend to the bottom edge of the belt and a topping device is located at the lower end of each lane or channel.

The plates, and possibly the bars, are mounted for limited vibratory movement and a magnetic type vibrator is located beneath the upper run of the belt. It is considered that vibration of the plates will assist the tendency of the carrots to run off the platesinto the conveying lanes or channels but this vibration is not considered an essential requirement.

In use, carrots fed to each of the flat orientating plates (vibrated or not) tend, due to their conical configuration, to roll off the plates into the lateral conveying lanes or channels wherein they are conveyed by the moving belt to the topping devices.

At the bottom of each transport belt 51 is a topping station which will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 9 to 12.

At lower end of the orientating apparatus is a topping blade 60 which extends the width of the orientating apparatus and carrots are fed individually under this blade 60 on to a topping carriage 61 carried by a fluid ram 62. Each carriage has associated with it downstream of the carrot flow a carrot detecting lever 63 of forked construction. An impaling blade, knife, spike or the like 64 is arranged at the fork of each detecting lever 63. Each detecting lever 63 is pivotal away from its carriage 61 against spring loading 63A. Each lever 63 has an integral arm 65 movable with the lever 63 to operate a valve 66 to permit a compressed air flow. The ram 62 is provided with an actuator 67 from initiating ram extension and an actuator 68, for initiating ram telescoping.

The pneumatic circuit comprises a compressed air manifold 69 with which the valves 66 are associated, the manifold 69 being connected to a pressure amplifier having an exhaust and pressure limiter 71. The amplifier 70 is connected to a valve 72 associated with and normally cutting out of the circuit a manual override valve 73. The valve 72 communicates with a flow change valve 74, with which is associated actuators 67 and 68, the valve 74 being connected to the ram 62 by valve 75.

When a carrot reaches its carriage 61 it impales itself on the blade 64 and pivots the lever 63 thus actuating the valve 66 to cause air flow via amplifier 70 and valves 72, 74 and which extends the ram 62 causing elevation of the carriage 61 to move the carrot off the blade 64 and past the topping blade 60 thus effecting removal of the carrot thickness of top or crown. The actuator 68 is at this stage operated by the ram 62 causing a reverse in air flow to the ram 62 so as to telescope it. As the carriage 61 stops at its highest point and then moves downwards the topped carrot is thrown upwards and conveniently deflected into a chute (not shown), the crowns falling away into a separate chute.

The ram 62 moves the carriage 61 down to its carrot receiving position, the lever 63 having been pivoted to its original position by its spring loading 63A thus closing valve 66. Thus there is no air supply from the manifold 69 and the ram 62 in returning to its telescoped position causes the actuator 67 to return the valve 74 and hence the valve 75 to the condition which permits air flow to give ram extension when the lever 63 is again pivotted by a carrot.

Each impaling knife 64 is preferably position adjustable and its carrot receiving end is angled, for example at 70, to permit ease of carrot removal therefrom. Main line air supply is indicated by the sign What we claim is:

1. An article delivery apparatus, comprising: an elevator for lifting the articles from a supply to a paddle feed wheel for rolling the articles on to an orientating apparatus, the elevator having a stationary base, endless conveying means movable over said stationary base and including longitudinally spaced bars mounting flights for engaging and lifting the articles and, between the bottom and top ends of the elevator, a means for removing excess articles constituted by an opening in the elevator base through which excess articles drop off the flights into a chute for conveying the articles back to supply.

2. An article delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a supply hopper channelled to conform with the number of flights and with the channel walls or separators inclined or curved to prevent bridging.

3. An article delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a box-like. casing inclined upwardly and having an opening in its top surface adjacent its upper end, endless conveying chains interconnected by the bars mounting flights moving over said top surface, and the chute interconnecting the interior of the casing in the region of said opening with a hopper adjacent the bottom of the elevator. 

1. An article delivery apparatus, comprising: an elevator for lifting the articles from a supply to a paddle feed wheel for rolling the articles on to an orientating apparatus, the elevator having a stationary base, endless conveying means movable over said stationary base and including longitudinally spaced bars mounting flights for engaging and lifting the articles and, between the bottom and top ends of the elevator, a means for removing excess articles constituted by an opening in the elevator base through which excess articles drop off the flights into a chute for conveying the articles back to supply.
 2. An article delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a supply hopper channelled to conform with the number of flights and with the channel walls or separators inclined or curved to prevent bridging.
 3. An article delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a box-like casing inclined upwardly and having an opening in its top surface adjacent its upper end, endless conveying chains interconnected by the bars mounting flights moving over said top surface, and the chute interconnecting the interior of the casing in the region of said opening with a hopper adjacent the bottom of the elevator. 